Tamar Cats president Aaron Brooks is hopeful the club will survive after making the tough call to pull out of the NTFA.
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Brooks said the Beauty Point-based Division 2 side has enough players to field the required two teams but lack of volunteers meant it could not muster a committee.
“Local support has been dwindling and you cannot have a footy club without a committee because there’s nobody to run game days,” he said.
“I would like to think we will be able to come back in 2020 but not many clubs can.
“We’re trying to think of different ways to get the club up and running because there are no other clubs on this side of the river for juniors to jump onto.
“Personally I’m confident the club can come back maybe under a different identity or name. I think parents will want to see it up and running again.”
Formed by the merger between Beaconsfield and Beauty Point football clubs, the club won premierships in 1993 and 2003, a reserves flag in 1992 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2016.
However, warning signs emerged about its long-term viability when a crisis meeting was held and an urgent appeal to players made ahead of last season.
The Cats survived but lost 14 of 16 games to finish second to bottom of the Division 2 competition which had been reduced to 11 teams when Prospect Hawks went into recess late last year.
The club made the announcement on its Facebook page.
“Unfortunately the Cats will be going into a short recession for the 2019 season,” it said. “But we have applied for the division 2 2020 season so hopefully the club will be able to use this time to prepare itself for a big 2020 year. Thank you to all the players, sponsors, volunteers and spectators over the years for the support, time and effort you have made for the club. Hopefully this is not it for adult footy down this end of river.”
Comments beneath the post expressed disappointment and optimism about a return in 2020, summed up by: “Another great club lost. Hope you guys get back.”
Brooks said the players had reacted with sadness.
“It’s been a tight-knit group all the years I’ve been here. The players really enjoy the club and the atmosphere and are devastated it’s finished.
“I’ve had a few messages from ex-players, some who have moved to the mainland, who said they hoped one day to return to play for the club.”
Brooks paid tribute to the many former players who had “done an awesome job over 25 years” in keeping the club going.
He said he’d had no contact from the NTFA since making the announcement.